Assurance
by Hanako A
Summary: Hermione knew that if she didn’t have a date of her choosing, then she would have several of her friends' choosing. That was when she had the brilliant idea to try to invite Draco along. D/Hr.


**Assurance**

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize is mine.

* * *

Never let it be said that I, Hermione Granger, am not thorough when it comes to exploring all the different ways to find that mythical one for me. Although frankly I've begun to doubt he even exists. I blame my parents for putting too much romantic nonsense in my head when I was a child. If I ever have a daughter, I'll make certain she knows that she's better off having nothing to do with love.

But I digress. I have put up with every sort of humiliation in my never-ending quest to find the right wizard. I tried going for my childhood sweetheart, only to find that he seeks for the other team in the most mortifying of manners. I have endured blind date after blind date, and the only conclusion I can reach is that my friends have no taste in men. At all. And that includes my aforementioned childhood sweetheart, more's the pity for him. Last, but certainly not least, there was that infamous evening where both my mother and Mrs Weasley each took it upon themselves to introduce me to a so-called eligible bachelor. Too bad that they didn't bother to coordinate their efforts; maybe the night wouldn't have been half as horrid if I hadn't been stuck between two of the most boring men on the entire planet.

But my latest tale of woe is the worst of them all. The most damning part about this whole fiasco is that I only have myself to blame.

Merlin help the poor fool who is the first to tell me he told me so. I have several new hexes that I have been itching to try out, and I shan't hesitate to use them.

In any event, it was that last disaster that made it clear to me that I simply was not safe attending any function—from the grand Reunion Ball at Hogwarts to the smallest of family gatherings—unless I myself chose my date. I still have nightmares about being forced by my mum and Mrs Weasley to sit between Aaron Darlavon (_Really, Mum? You don't think I can do any better than that boring arse?_) and Ludo Delacroix (_A nasty piece of work, and more proof that Mrs Weasley still blames me for Ron turning out to be gay. That's not my fault, and I need to introduce her to the new Muggle research out there that backs me up!_) for the entire evening. There's not enough firewhisky in the world to help a girl forget a calamity of that magnitude.

And of course, it was just my luck that barely a month after, Harry and Ginny announced their engagement. That's not to say that I wasn't happy for them and all that rot. However, their timing left much to be desired. I was caught off guard by it, and that meant I only had two weeks to find an acceptable wizard with whom I could attend their engagement bash.

Much to my dismay, my friends knew that. One by one, they came to see me, each of them sidling up to say, "I know the _perfect_ wizard for you, Hermione. Really, you'll just love him. You two were just made for each other." Please. I've heard that line one too many times before. I told each and every one of them no, but I could see the lay of the land. If I didn't have a date of my choosing, then I would have several of their choosing. And that just would not do. So naturally I spent a Friday night in to consider my options.

Which unfortunately were—and still are—not much. I'm somewhat picky when it comes to wizards. I'm not ashamed to admit that. I'm not willing to settle just to have someone at my side. I would rather be alone than be with a jerk. On the flip side that translates into my short list of wizards being very short, practically non-existent. I decided it was time to go out on a limb and take a risk on someone I normally wouldn't even consider.

That was when I was struck with an absolutely brilliant notion. It's only looking back that I realize that sometimes I'm just too clever for my own good.

I had already tried finding my match in all the places you would expect to find it. I tried working things out with my childhood sweetheart only to find out that my life wasn't that simple. My friends have tried to set me up time and time again, and they've failed each time. Clearly I didn't know who was right for me, and they didn't either. So maybe the wizard my friends and I thought was all wrong for me…maybe _he_ was the right one for me.

Besides it didn't hurt that Draco Malfoy was the most handsome wizard I knew. As in jaw-dropping gorgeous, sex on legs, every single phrase that could be used to describe someone as dead sexy and more. I never admitted this to my friends—they would have never let me live that down, especially since they were both convinced that Malfoy resembles a ferret—but I noticed how attractive the prat was back in school. And like a fine wine, he's only improved with age.

But there's more to him than just that. Not that it makes a difference to me, but his family is well off, to say the least. Lots of witches throw themselves at his feet for that reason only. He's also one of the brightest young wizards out there, with marks only second to my own. Although he's not even thirty yet, he has already taken over management of his family's company. He's clever and handsome—what more could a witch ask for?

Alas there is also the fact that during school, we were rivals of sort. Actually scratch that. I suppose it would be closer to the truth to say that we were more or less enemies. He would always taunt and tease my friends, and let's just say we weren't very nice back. I did my best to stop any fights from breaking out, but even as a boy, his wit was biting and that's putting it mildly. It's no surprise that Harry and Ron always wanted to smash his face in. Needless to say, we weren't the best of friends back in school.

Now that I'm older, however, the romantic sop in me can't help but wonder if all the times he teased me meant something, something that I was too blind to see back then. Maybe it had been his way of prying my attention away from my studies and my boys. Or so I like to think. I can be very silly when it comes to love. I could go on about how romantic it is to think how the two of us could go from hating each other passionately to loving each other with equal fervor, but I shan't bore you with that.

Besides I do have a reputation to uphold.

In any event, getting Draco Malfoy to attend Harry and Ginny's engagement party with me was a brilliant idea, one of the best I have had in a long time. There was just one tiny, little problem with the whole idea—okay two, if you insist on counting our past history as a stumbling block rather than a romantic backdrop to our hypothetical relationship—and that was the fact that he had to be mad to even be seen speaking to me. Because you see, he could do so much better than me, the dreaded Bossy Bookworm of Gryffindor (_I have one of Ron's paramours to thank for that lovely nickname, which unfortunately stuck with my so-called best friends)_. It was simply inconceivable to think that he would want to be my date for anything.

Aside from that last Reunion Ball at Hogwarts. Oh, and the Ministry's annual Christmas function last year. And let's not forget the costume ball last Halloween. He had asked me to every one of them. I'm no fool so I thought he had to have some ulterior motive, and I told him no every time, thinking that I would rather go stag than risk humiliation. Unfortunately for me, my friends and family ensured I would be humiliated regardless, and so in a way, I suppose you could say I turned him down for no reason.

But that was how I knew that there was no way he was going to ask me again. No bloke would, not after being rejected three times in a row. The last time he hadn't even finished asking if I wanted to go with him before I had told him no. He looked very disheartened at the whole thing and had slunk away. I had been so tempted to run after him to say that I had changed my mind, but alas I hadn't done so.

But I have wandered off topic again. Sorry about that. It's a bad habit of mine when it comes to him. It's almost impossible for me not to start overanalyzing every single interaction I've had with him, and trust me, there have been a lot of them. Getting back to the subject of the latest tragedy in my love life, after I decided who I wanted to take to the engagement party, the only left for me to figure out was how to convince him to go with me. We normally didn't cross paths too often. The only place I was likely to see him was in Flourish and Blotts. However, I hadn't seen him there after that last time I told him no, probably because that was where I turned him down. I wound up concluding that there was only one way I could guarantee that I would get the chance to hear him tell me no. And that was to abuse my authority as an Auror and barge into his office one afternoon.

Can you tell that Harry and Ron have been a bad influence on me over the years?

He was hunched over his desk, hard at work, when I blasted through his door. He looked up and sighed wearily. "To what do I owe this pleasure, Granger?" he asked.

I just stood there, gaping like an idiot. Somehow I always forget that his voice is just as sexy as the rest of him. I could listen to that man speak all day long.

He tapped his foot impatiently. "Well? Don't you think I deserve an answer after you demolished my door?"

I looked behind me. His nice, shiny oak door was now a collection of splinters. I winced. "Sorry about that," I muttered.

"Ah yes. I can see how that was completely unintentional. You didn't mean to aim that blasting curse at my poor unsuspecting door, now did you?"

"Actually I did," I replied. "It was completely on purpose. My bad and all of that. I didn't think you would want to see me otherwise."

He lifted one eyebrow up at me. "What made you think that?"

"Well, I didn't think you were too happy the last time I saw you. After all, I had just told you no when you were asking me out to the Reunion Ball. And I didn't even let you finish. That was awfully rude of me, and I hope you'll forgive me for that." I was babbling and I knew it. Unfortunately, I couldn't stop myself. "And I don't suppose I was all that polite to you to previous times that we had met. I think I might have told you to go fuck yourself last Christmas, and I can't even remember what insults I lobbed your way before that, but I am certain that I didn't say anything nice. I really am sorry. I don't know what came over me. It's just that—" He stood up and I fell silent.

"Do you mean to tell me, Granger, that you came all this way just to apologize to me? For not always being perfectly polite?"

I gulped and nodded my head.

He smiled, and I just about melted away. "Apology accepted," he said, ruffling a hand through his hair. He walked towards me and offered his hand. I looked at it stupidly.

"What's that for?" I asked.

"To shake," he answered. His smile only grew larger, and I was struck with how much more handsome he was with it on his face. He was dreadfully sexy when brooding. But when he was happy and smiling—I simply have no words, no words at all. And that for me is a very rare thing indeed.

He went on to say, "I wasn't all that polite to you either back when we were children. I was rather insufferable in fact. I can understand why you thought the worst of me. So I thought perhaps we could agree to forget all that and start again."

"Are you certain? I did just blow your door to smithereens."

"That you did. Remind me never to get on your bad side," he said. He looked at my right hand before glancing back at his own.

"Oh yes." I reached out to shake his hand. He had firm, but gentle grip, and I could feel myself about ready to swoon. I knew I had to ask him now, or I never would. So I did. "Would you go to Harry's engagement party with me?" I blurted out.

"Excuse me?" he said.

I could feel my cheeks burning red out of embarrassment. "I said…oh blast! Never mind," I muttered. "Just me not thinking before speaking, that's all."

"Oh. So you don't want me to go with you to your friend's party?" He frowned at me.

"Oh! I do!" His frown only grew wider and he looked away from me. I cursed myself for finding the wrong thing to say yet again. "But I know you don't want to. How could you? After I turned you down…what is…three times running." I laughed nervously. The words continued to tumble out of my mouth. "So of course you don't, and I'm sorry to bother you, and I'm sorry about your door, and actually I'm sorry about everything really, and if you just send me the bill, I'll make certain to pay it, and—"

That was when he muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Damn it," before stepping forward. He was right in front of me, so close that my nose was almost touching his chest. I looked up and into his steel grey eyes, and before I knew what was happening, he was kissing me.

I could have died happy then and there. All too soon, it was over, and we were just standing there, looking at each other.

"When is it?" he asked softly.

"Friday after next," I replied, still in a daze from the turn of events.

"Shall I pick you up at six?" I nodded my head. "Very well. I'll see you then."

I don't know how I got myself back home after a kiss like that. I think I must have floated home, with my head in the clouds, as I felt that lightheaded. There were times when I stopped and wondered if he would really show up, but the memory of that kiss was all that I needed to reassure me. And sure enough, he kept his word.

That entire evening went smashingly well. I remember how shocked everyone was to realize that not only had I come with a wizard, but that wizard was Draco Malfoy. At least half the witches in the room turned green with envy.

Of course, Harry and Ron couldn't just let matters be. They both dragged me aside, at different times, to ask ever so politely if I'd gone mad. I told Harry to shut the fuck up and to go back to Ginny before she started thinking I was the witch he really wanted. I let Ron know that he should stop being such a jealous bitch as the color green didn't really suit him all that well. Both of my boys had no response, and I was able to escape their clutches and make my way back to Draco. He was the perfect gentleman the entire evening—always willing to dance but never stepping on my toes, capable of making conversation that was interesting instead of dull, and best of all, somehow able to make me feel like I was the most charming witch in the entire world. That last was the most difficult feat of all.

I think I began to fall in love with him that night.

At the end of the evening, he asked to see me again. Very enthusiastically I said yes. One thing led to another, and pretty soon, I was seeing him every day. I had never dated a wizard like Draco Malfoy before. He was such a refreshing change. It was nice to be able to babble on about a new book by my favorite author or some new obscure Arithmancy theory with someone who was just as excited about that new book or theory as I. He spoiled me, I must admit. He even remembered my birthday when it came up. I was so used to my birthday being ignored by my friends that it never occurred to me that he wanted to celebrate it.

"What's all this for?" I looked around his flat which was full to the brim with decorations. "Is there some special occasion?"

He looked at me and shook his head. "Don't tell me that you've managed to forget what day it is?"

"What day is it?" I asked. I was trying to think if it was an anniversary of some sort, but unless I was counting wrong, it wasn't.

"It's your birthday, you daft bird." His eyes were wide with disbelief. "What? Don't tell me you've never celebrated your birthday before."

I looked down at my hands. "Actually I haven't," I said in a very small voice. "My parents remembered but they were always too busy with their practice to actually arrange for anything special." Left unsaid was the fact that I didn't really have any friends to invite to a birthday party when I was little anyway. "And at Hogwarts…well Harry and Ron were never too good at remembering anything, much less my birthday."

He sniffed haughtily. "I always told you that they were the wrong sort. Obviously they don't know how to treat a girl."

"Unlike you," I said. He blinked in surprise, showing off just how long his eyelashes were. It was unfair. A wizard like Draco had no use for such long, pretty eyelashes. It was just unfair that he should have those while I was stuck with such short brown stubs. But that was always the way of things. I remembered complaining along with Lavender and Parvati it was so wrong that it always seemed like wizards had longer eyelashes than witches, leaving witches to have to mess around with charms that never really did the trick.

"What are you staring at? Is there something wrong with my face?" Draco asked.

"Yes. I covet your eyelashes. They're prettier than mine," I replied.

He laughed, sending shivers down my spine, the good sort. "I love you just the way you are," he said, bending over to kiss the tip of my nose.

"Short, stubby eyelashes and all?"

"Yes." And that was one of the reasons why it was so easy for me to fall for him. I never had anyone compliment me the way he did. Most of the time, the wizards in my life had a way of making me feel unappreciated. There were times when I knew that Harry and Ron just wanted me to shut up and go away. But Draco never made me feel that way. When I was with him, I knew I was loved.

That's not to say that Draco was perfect. He had his faults. Most of them were insignificant, like his obsession with his House colors. Whenever he bought me anything to wear, it was either silver, green, or some combination of both. I tried to get it through his thick skull that I looked best in reds. However, after the first time he saw me in an emerald green negligee, I soon stopped complaining. What witch would complain with the sort of reaction he had. I do believe he did his best to fuck us both into oblivion. I could hardly walk straight the next day.

I guess when I put it that way, one could hardly call it a fault at all. More of a fetish, I suppose. That wasn't the best example to give at all.

But he _did _have his faults, and not all of them were quite so trivial. In fact he had one major fault that was so overwhelming, she came with her own name: Narcissa Malfoy. When I was a student at Hogwarts, I used to be more scared of his father, Lucius. After all, it was Lucius who was the big, bad, scary Death Eater. After I started seeing Draco, however, I soon learned that it was his mother who was the real terror in the family. His father, I could deal with. Lucius Malfoy didn't like me—in fact, I imagine he didn't want to have anything to do with me—but he tended to ignore me. His wife was a different story.

Narcissa Malfoy never thought that I was good enough for her darling son. She was right of course, and so I couldn't blame her for thinking that way. However, she never turned down a chance to rub my nose in that fact. At her nicest, she was merely condescending to me. When she was feeling vicious…well let's just when she was feeling vicious, you could see the family resemblance between her and her sister, Bellatrix. That was why I did my best to avoid her, and she more or less did the same. Practically the only time we saw each other was when Draco had invited me to some dinner party being held at Malfoy Manor. Given that consideration, I really should have been suspicious that day she stopped by my office.

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger," she said as she stepped through the door. She looked around at her surroundings, then sniffed haughtily. Elegantly she crossed the room to stand before me. "What a quaint little place you have here! Tell me, do you actually get any work done?"

My face flamed red. I could never stand to be around her, not even when Draco was by my side. "Yes, quite a bit in fact," I snapped back.

"Oh dear. I didn't mean that as an insult, my dear. It was just an observation. There's no need to get all snippy with me. Although I suppose you can't help it. Bad breeding and all. I am certain, however, that with a little bit of effort on your behalf you can rise above your unfortunate lineage. Do try a little harder, my dear." She looked down her nose at me before sitting down. "Please do have a seat," she said, gesturing with one hand.

If Draco didn't love his mother so much, I would have thrown her out then and there. But he did, and so I had to put up with her and being told that I could take a seat in my own damn office. "So what brings you out here?" I grouched at her. "I don't suppose you have any information that would help on any of our open investigations," I added hopefully.

"Actually I do have a crime to report."

"Oh?" I leaned forward, crossing my fingers behind my back that this wasn't some sort of trick.

"Yes. The crime is you're still seeing my son."

"Oh." I slumped down in my chair. I felt like beating my head against my desk for not anticipating that response. "That."

She rolled her eyes. "It's a travesty, how you insist on clinging to Draco. Don't you know that you're not good enough for him?" She continued on in the same vein for the better part of the hour, reminding me of all of my faults. Merlin, I knew I had plenty. I didn't know that they numbered into the hundreds. In fact, some of those that she mentioned I felt like arguing with, but I decided not to bother. She wasn't going to listen to me anyway. She ranted and raved and I just wished it would end.

Finally it did. "So what do you have to say for yourself?"

I twisted my mouth. "I don't think there's anything I can say, really."

She scoffed openly at my comment. "And here I thought that Gryffindors were known for being honest and straightforward. Don't tell me that you labor under the delusion that you deserve Draco?"

I sighed. I thought that I might as well come clean with her. I didn't think I would ever be Narcissa's favorite person, but maybe if I was honest, she would start to hate me less. "No, I don't," I said. "I know perfectly well that he deserves a better witch than me, that he's too good for me. I'm kind of shocked and amazed that he hasn't figured that out yet."

Her response was to gasp in horror. "Why ever did you seek him out in the first place, you silly girl!"

I shrugged my shoulders. "It was just a whim, I guess. I thought it was better to go with him than to go alone and run the risk of who my friends might bring in. They have the worst taste in wizards," I whispered conspiratorially at her. I closed my eyes and smiled giddily. "Not me though. Obviously not as I picked him. I'm sorry I'm not good enough for him, but surely you can understand why I can't give him up. There's no one I'd rather be with."

"Indeed. Never fear child. I shan't trouble you on the matter any more." With a swish of her robes, she got up and exited the room, leaving me to my daydreams. I should have figured out that she was plotting something—I did like to think of myself as the cleverest witch in my year—but I was too busy thinking of Draco and how we were supposed to go out that evening and what I should wear, too busy to give any serious thought to her reaction.

Unfortunately for me, Narcissa wasted no time in repeating what I had revealed to her to Draco, with some rather liberal edits of course. Rita Skeeter would have been proud of the way Narcissa mangled the truth. I found out about it that evening. I was putting the final touches to my hair that evening—years of experience taught me that it was impossible for me to have too many charms on the bird's nest that resides on the top of my head—when suddenly I saw Draco's reflection in my mirror.

"Gah!" I cried as I dropped my wand on the floor, clumsy fool that I was. I clutched a hand to my chest. "You startled me," I told him. "I didn't hear you come in." I bent down to pick up my wand.

"I knocked, but there was no answer. So I let myself in," he said. I could tell something was bothering him. He started to pace back and forth behind me. I frowned at my hair and decided it would have to do. I turned around to face him.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"What's wrong?" he echoed. "Nothing. Nothing much." He continued to pace, and I just watched him. I knew he would get to the point eventually.

He stopped in front of me. "So I heard something interesting from my mother today," he announced. He stared resolutely at his feet, refusing to meet my eyes. He took a deep breath and then went on. "She said that you said you think I don't deserve you. Is that true?"

"I…I…" My tongue was stuck halfway down my throat, and I found that I couldn't speak, no matter how hard I tried. He glanced up, and I could see the tears in his eyes. I couldn't bear seeing him in pain like that. "I'm sorry," I murmured.

"So it's true then. You did say that." He started to shake. I reached out a hand to touch him, but he shoved it away. "No. Don't do that!" he said fiercely.

"I'm sorry," I said again. "I'm so sorry, Draco. You have got to know that you're second to none."

He laughed bitterly. "Nice try, Granger. She told me all about that too. I'm second to none. How charming is that? You'd rather be alone than with me. I get it. I really do. What you really want is to be alone, but your friends won't let you. So you put up with me instead, because you're too damned scared about what might happen if you show up alone." He glared at me then. "Honestly Granger, I didn't know that you were that sort of witch. I never pegged you as the type to use a bloke like that."

He took a step forward, followed by another, and then another until he was standing right up against me. His hands were clenched into fists at his side, and I could tell that he was angry with me. I closed my eyes, cursing the fact that I had ever been honest with his mother. If only I had kept my mouth shut, then this wouldn't be happening right now.

"I guess I should have known," he spat out. "That you think you're too good for me. I should have been able to figure that out. You're ashamed of me, aren't you? You really don't want to be seen with me, don't you? That's why you turned me down all those times! And if it weren't for your friends being bloody awful matchmakers, you would still be merrily ignoring the fact that I exist!" By now his entire frame shook with rage. He reached out and with his little finger, lifted up my chin so that I was staring directly into his eyes.

"Well I'm sorry, darling, for being so dense. You must've wanted to rid yourself of me for quite some time. It would have been nice, Hermione, if you could have told me directly instead of going through my mother. Yeah, I kind of would have really appreciated not being humiliated by that. But then, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You never cared, you never loved me."

And just like that, he broke away from me. "No," he said softly. "You never loved me. How could I have been so blind? You tell those fools you call friends that you love them all the time. But me? Not even once. You don't love me, do you?" His eyes were wide with fear as he asked me that, and that was when I realized what this was all about.

Draco Malfoy, the most perfect wizard I have ever dated, was insecure.

My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't fathom how Draco could be so insecure. Of course I loved him. If I didn't, I would have never bothered to spend so much time with him. I would have never bothered to put up with either of his parents. I thought he knew that. I was always hugging him, kissing him, and showing him in every single possible way that I love him.

Well, every way but one that is. He was right. I never did say that I loved him. I never did because I thought it was so blatant and obvious. I had to tell my friends I love them, otherwise they might start to believe otherwise. But as for Draco—I didn't because I thought everyone knew.

But I should have told him, each and every time I saw him, because I loved him so much that I wanted to die for hurting him like that, for making him believe that he was so insignificant to me. I should have realized that he wasn't secure in my love, that our shared history cut both ways. Just as I couldn't believe he wanted me, of course he couldn't believe that I wanted him. And I was going to tell him all that but I had spent too much time thinking and not enough time speaking and he had already come to his conclusion.

"I see." His shoulders slumped forward. "Sorry about that, Granger. I won't bother you again." Before I could get out even a single syllable, he apparated away.

And that was that. As always, Draco was true to his word. I hadn't seen him since then.

I must admit that I've fallen in to a bit of a depression. I can't help but blame myself for what happened. It was all my fault that our relationship ended the way it did. If only I had told him how much he meant to me—but wishing things were different did no good. Wishing wouldn't bring him back.

To make matters worse, my friends took it upon themselves to console me. I soon grew tired of hearing how 'he didn't deserve me,' and how 'I was too good for him,' when I knew the opposite was true. I didn't deserve him. He was too good for me.

Eventually I began throwing my friends out, telling them that I didn't want to hear them speaking about him. I made it _verboten _to mention Draco's name around me. I knew what was going to happen. He was going to move on with his life and find a witch that fit him better than me, leaving me behind, which was no less than I deserved. I wished him well and I hoped he found every kind of happiness. However, I did not want to hear about it. Fortunately most of my friends took the hint.

Most but not all, if the knock on my door was anything to go by. I sighed and got to my feet. I didn't really feel like dealing with anyone right now, but I knew that if I didn't answer the damn door, then I risked making Harry and Ron panic. That would not be a pretty sight, especially if either of them got the notion to involve one of the Weasley women. A shiver ran down my back just at the thought of that possibility.

I opened the front door. There was no one there. Frowning, I stepped outside to look around, feeling upset that I was the victim of a childish prank.

Then next thing I knew, something collided with my head. All around me was deep, velvety darkness, and then I knew no more.

When I came to, I was being carried along, with both my hands and my feet bound together, and the bulk of my body hitting the ground every so often. I winced in pain as the gravel bit into my skin. From above, I could hear voices speaking.

"Blast! Can't we take a break? I'm dead tired!" complained a male voice.

"I'll second that. Granger's heavier than she looks," added the voice of another wizard.

"Men!" That was a voice I recognized as belonging to Pansy Parkinson. "Honestly! I don't know why I even bothered to bring you along. You're both useless!"

"Oi, that's not fair, Pansy, and you know it. The last time I checked, it was me and Greg doing all the heavy lifting."

Though I still couldn't see a thing, I just knew Pansy was rolling her eyes. "You two? Doing the heavy lifting?" She snorted in a most unladylike manner. "Hardly! You couldn't even knock Granger out! I had to do that myself!"

"I don't hit girls," said the first wizard. "My mum won't stand for it."

"Yes, Greg, I know," said Pansy. "That doesn't excuse Theo here though."

"I thought that I should just get out of your way and let you handle things."

"Obviously."

"Now can we take a break?" Theo whined. "My arms are so sore from carrying her."

"Merlin. I swear if you want a job done right…are you wizards or Muggles? You don't have to carry her between you like that. That's what magic is for! _Wingardium leviosa!_"

"Ack!" I screamed as I felt my body being lifted into the air.

"For the love of…you didn't even bother to silence her?" Pansy screeched. "You idiots! Do I have to do everything in this group? _Silencio!"_ My scream was quashed by her spell. "Honestly! You two go have a look see and make sure that we've not been found out."

Theo and Greg scattered at her command. I remained suspended in mid-air. Though I couldn't speak, I could still think and right now, my brain was coming up with a multitude of different scenarios. The most likely one, to my mind, was that Pansy and company were going to take some sort of revenge on me for treating Draco so poorly. As badly as I felt about the whole situation, I didn't really feel like taking a beating from his friends.

The other witch approached me. She sneered at me. "You look like a fright," she told me. "I have to wonder what Draco saw in you. But no matter." She saw the question in my eyes and smiled. "So you wonder what we're going to do to you? Nothing, nothing at all."

That didn't sound all that reassuring. I was on the verge of panicking when she spoke again. "Draco hasn't been himself lately, you see, and I figure that it has to do with the way you broke things off with him. He's locked himself in his flat, refusing to come out. So we're taking you there so you can apologize for treating him so badly." Her demeanor grew icy. "And you better mean every single word that comes out of your mouth, you frigid bitch. I won't stand for you hurting his feelings again. And in case you haven't realized it yet, I do know where you live. I promise you I will come back if you don't convince Draco that he's better off without you."

Theo and Greg returned, letting Pansy know that they were in the clear. The three Slytherins continued along with me in tow. Occasionally Pansy would shout orders at the other two whenever they displeased her. There was nothing I could do to stop them, as I was bound, silenced, and wandless. Even if I could have, I don't think I would have tried to escape. Pansy was right. I did owe Draco an apology, at the very least. I should have taken the initiative and visited him before this to do so, but I had been too busy feeling sorry for myself.

We came to a halt. As I was still floating on my back, I couldn't see where we were, but I figured that we had to be at Draco's flat. Pansy directed Greg to knock on the door while she kept her wand trained on me.

I heard the sound of a door opening. "What is it? I thought I told you all that I don't want to be bothered." My heart broke again when I heard how dispirited Draco sounded. Tears sprung to my eyes.

"You did. But I thought of something that might make you feel better," Pansy asserted. She waved her wand and sent me flying into Draco's flat.

"What the fuck?" Draco swore. He looked at me in horror. "What did you do to her!" he shouted.

"Don't worry, we didn't hurt her…much," said Pansy.

"Yeah," added Theo. "You should've seen it. Pansy has a wicked right hook. Ow!"

"Her foot stomp is rather deadly as well," Draco noted dryly. What he said next to his friends, I didn't know. I couldn't hear as they all had lowered their voices, but I got the impression that an argument was taking place. Finally, I heard Draco yell, "Just leave already! I'll take it from here!" He slammed the door shut. I could hear whispers coming from outside but I paid them no heed for I could also hear Draco approaching me.

"Merlin, I'm sorry Hermione. I didn't know what they were planning, really I didn't," he whispered fervently. He undid Pansy's spell and let me drift to the ground gently. Coming forward, he undid my bonds. I pulled myself up into a sitting position and began to rub at my wrists. They ached from being tied together.

"I swear I had nothing to do with this. You believe me, don't you?" Draco asked.

I opened my mouth to speak, but not a sound came out. Frustrated I pointed at my throat, trying to let him know that I couldn't talk.

"Oh! Of course!" Draco fumbled for his wand. "Pansy never was the sort to do things halfway." He cast the counter spell allowing me to speak once more.

"I'm sorry!" I cried out. I stumbled on to my feet and towards him. "I'm so sorry, Draco. I should've known better. I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"You don't have to say that," he told me gently. "Don't worry about Pansy. I don't know what she threatened you with, but I won't let her hurt you."

I stomped my foot, upset at how he wasn't listening to me now that I finally able to speak again. "I am not afraid of Pansy. In an honest duel, I could take of her like that!" I snapped my fingers for emphasis. "I'm not saying this because I've been threatened or anything like that. I'm really sorry for everything!"

I bit my lip, desperate to make him understand. I had no concept what I was saying. The words simply flew out of my mouth. "I should've told you how much I love you. I thought you knew—how could you not know?—that I love you. I thought it was obvious. That's why I never bothered to say it, because it seemed silly to mention something that was so out in the open. But I'm so stupid…I know how much words mean, and I should've known better, and I should have stopped to think about you, and how you might want to actually hear the words. I never imagined you didn't know. And I did say you didn't deserve me but that's because you don't. You deserve someone much, much better than me. You're too good for me. You're witty, clever, charming, handsome, and sexy...everything a witch could want and more."

By now, I was a sobbing mess. I looked over at Draco. He was frozen still, shocked to the very core by my words. Maybe I had made a fool of myself, but it was worth it. Hopefully now he knew what a catch he was. That meant I had righted the horrible wrong I had done him. It was time for me to leave. I felt around for my wand and silently swore. It was still at home, which meant my only way home was to floo.

"I'm sorry to have bother you for this," I said. "But do you mind if I use your fireplace? And I'll need a pinch of floo powder too, I'm afraid."

"You think I'm sexy?" Draco asked timidly, looking anywhere but at me.

I couldn't believe my ears. "Oh my yes," I replied. "You're the sexiest wizard I know."

"Really?" he said disbelievingly. "But I'm so scrawny. I'm not built like other wizards."

"That's part of your charm. You're more brain than brawn," I told him. I smiled sadly to myself. I had really blown it when it came to Draco. He had always acted so confident and self-assured. I never thought that beneath his cocky demeanor lay an insecure, little boy who still remembered being taunted for being too scrawny and too short. Deep down inside Draco was the boy who was always afraid of never being good enough, who wanted so dearly to be the best but somehow kept winding up in second place. And no one had ever let him forget that. Not his parents, and certainly not me and my friends.

I wanted to kick myself. It was so bloody obvious that he was insecure. His arrogance was just an act. The reality was Draco needed to be told how great he was because no one ever bothered to do so while he was growing up. That was why he was forever seeking the spotlight; he had this vast, unfilled need to be praised. And I had been selfish and ignored that need, thinking only of how good it felt for me to be appreciated by him.

"And you think I'm clever too?"

"Very," I told him.

"Really?" He lifted his face up, and I could see astonishment writ all over it. "The cleverest witch ever to grace the halls of Hogwarts thinks _I'm_ clever?"

I snorted. "I'm hardly that," I muttered, disgusted with myself. "After all, I let you go."

"But you are," he insisted. He grinned widely as he walked up to me. "Everyone knows it. I can hardly keep up with you," he told me.

And then his arms were around me, and he was whispering in my ear. "And you're so gorgeous, it takes my breath away each time I see you. I knew I didn't stand a chance with you, but I couldn't help but try, and then try again even though you refused me. You're too good for me, and I can't believe that you love me."

I leaned my head against his chest and started to cry once more. "You've got it backwards," I told him. "Honestly you do!"

"I think we're just going to have to agree to disagree on that one, my love." He tilted up my chin, then kissed me. I stood on the edge of my toes, absolutely desperate to get as much of him as I could, and before I knew it, he had hoisted me up and was carrying me to his bedroom.

"I hate to be the one to break this to you, Hermione," he told me, smiling all the while, "but now that you've gone and admitted that you love me…well, I'm never letting you go."

And just like he always did, Draco Malfoy kept his promise to me. Not that he had much choice in the matter. For there was no way that I was going to let him get away from me ever again.

I didn't deserve him. He was too good for me. But somehow when I was with him, everything fit together perfectly._ We_ fit together perfectly.

Any lingering doubts that either of us had were erased once we were in bed.

* * *

**Author's note:** It's a bit different from my usual style of fic, seeing how it's first person and all, but I thought I'd give it a go. Reviews would be lovely. :D


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